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Wacky Wednesday: Ask An Author #1

Renee Stevens

Entry posted by Renee Stevens in Author Interviews

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Dark came to us a while ago about an idea he had to ask some of the authors here the questions that readers were wondering. We thought it was a great idea and will now be doing a once a month feature of Ask an Author. If you have a question that you have been wanting to ask an author and, for one reason or another, haven't already asked, let Dark know and maybe he'll be able to get that answer for you! Without further ado, let's look at the first feature of Ask an Author!

Ask an Author #1

 

You login, you surf over to your favorite website, and you say hello, but who are you really talking to? We read, we review (sometimes!), and we write, but who’s on the other side of that screen? Talking to authors can be intimidating and if you actually corral one, it always seems that the perfect question doesn’t emerge until after the window of opportunity has closed.

 

The wheels grind slowly, but a solution has arrived!

 

In this series, random questions from GA members have been shot out to various authors here on GA. Those authors have the opportunity to either decline or answer, and the answers are just as quirky as the questions. This shall be a fun way to learn a little more about some of the folks here on GA.

 

In AtA #1, the authors are: furnishedsoul, podiumdavis, and CassieQ.
For their protection, the members who asked these questions shall remain nameless (unless they choose to reveal themselves). :lol: Please note that all author replies are copied as is, spelling errors and grammar eccentricities original to the individual.

 

Our first author, furnishedsoul, has been a member for just over a year. He has a degree in English Lit and is currently in grad school. He has 2 stories currently in progress here on GA Stories, both with likeable teenaged main characters struggling through the ups and downs of life.

To furnishedsoul:
How did you come up with your writing style for “That Feeling.” ie. Is it natural or learned?

 

It's both, I think. I feel most comfortable writing in first person, whether it's literally my voice or someone else's (as is the case with That Feeling); just letting the words come out as they do, then carefully editing them for maximum impact. Like any writing that's worth reading, there has to be some kind of learning curve to get there, though. I mostly learned to write by reading vigorously and widely, then emulating writers I liked by telling my stories in their style until I found something my own. I won't say I'm fully there yet, but I am slowly finding a voice that fits me and gives voice to what goes on in my head.

 

The next author, podiumdavis, reaches his 1 year milestone next month! He’s been busy this past year posting 3 stories, two of which are posted in full. His most recent story is the popular The Journey of Jacob and Kyle.

To podiumdavis:
You seem to be very invested in your writing here on
GA
, but only admitted a few weeks ago (circa Nov 2012) that you had a girlfriend. Why were you so hesitant to admit your sexuality on such an accepting site?

 

Well as my profile says, I'm Bi-sexual. So that's been pretty much out in the open. Nonetheless, my fears have always been the same. If one were to think, like I have, gay people, transgendered, bisexual, this or that, have always been persecuted one way or another; bullying, name calling, bitterness, rejection. In life, no matter who you are, we put these masks on to try and hide our true selves, and until one actually can feel apart of a community, may that be in real life or not, then those masks tend to stay up. My main fear was that while I have declared that I am bisexual, that any credence to my writing would be lost; which is something I didn't want to happen. I believe in my writing whole-heartedly, and this community and I felt to some extent that I needed to be transparent, and for that, I felt liberated and accepted. But as a side note, part of my secrecy lay with a traumatic experience that happened with a reader last year that has kept me very hush hush on any real details about my life.

 

Our next author, CassieQ, has been a member of GA for almost two years. If you didn’t hear much from her lately, that’s probably because she’s a crazy football fan. No doubt, she was glued to the TV watching the Superbowl. Her series Not the Sun is 3 books and going strong.

To CassieQ:
Do you feel challenged on a more or less gay males site, and have you ever questioned why you are here?

 

I don't think I feel more challenged on a gay males site than I would on any other site. I started writing stories about gay characters around the same time that I started posting online, but this is the first site that I've come across that has a large gay male readership. I do think it can be a little more intimidating being on a site that has a lot of gay male readers, because I want to make sure that my readers would be able to identify with my characters and story. I have never questioned why I was here either...I like to read stories about gay men, I like to write stories about gay men, so why would I want to be anywhere else?

 

That’s it for now! For more info on these authors, go check out their stories, post in their forums, and/or catch them in chat!

 

Coming next time: Graeme, Andrew Todd, and Joann414.

 

Want to ask your favorite author a question? Simply PM me (Dark) and/or post a comment below.

 

Until next time!

 

Dark

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FrenchCanadian

FrenchCanadian 326

Posted

That's a nice fun idea! and great questions!

  • Like 2
  • Site Administrator
Cia

Cia 59,363

Posted

  • Site Administrator

What a great new feature and way to get to know the many authors here on GA! I feel for both Cassie and Podiumdavis, having some elements of similar situations myself (and having faced questions much alike). I'm always interested in reading other author's motivations on their writing techniques too. Writing in first is hard though!

 

Thanks to the authors for answering the questions and a ton of thanks to Dark for organizing this new feature!

  • Like 4
Andy78

Andy78 3,097

Posted

Thanks Dark for this new feature.  Looks like it will be a great new addition to the blog.

 

These were some very personal questions and I'd like to thank you all for being so open with your answers.

  • Like 3
podiumdavis

podiumdavis 623

Posted

It's about time this got posted :P. I was beginning to wonder... It was fun though.... Ask me again if you dare :)

  • Like 1
crazyfish

crazyfish 242

Posted

Curiouser and curiouser.

  • Like 2

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